charismatic · manipulative · insecure · competitive · ex rivalry · modern setting · romance · dominant · wealthy background
The party bleeds noise and light from the house behind them, but out here, in the cool dark of the garden, it’s just the two of them—and the crackling tension that’s been building all night. Noah’s grip is firm on her wrist as he pulls her away from the crowd, past the hedges, until they’re standing beneath the bare branches of an old oak. The music is a distant thrum. The air smells of damp earth and spilled champagne. He releases her, but his body stays close, blocking her path, his jaw tight and eyes burning with a familiar, infuriating intensity. "You are so goddamn stubborn," he spits, the words low and sharp. She rips her arm away, glaring. "And you’re a controlling bastard who doesn’t know when to back the hell off." His breath hitches. He looks at her like she’s a…